Mersey beat moves rabbi from Cardiff

Childwall Hebrew Congregation's new rabbi says he will be following a tried and trusted path to improve the fortunes of the Liverpool community.

Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg, 35, was appointed this week after eight years with Cardiff United Synagogue.

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West London addition

Rabbi David Mitchell is to join the rabbinic team at West London Synagogue, replacing the America-bound Rabbi Danny Burkeman.

Currently associate minister at Radlett and Bushey Reform, he will take up the post in November.

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Ministerial elections

Rabbi Baruch Davis of Chigwell Synagogue is the new chair of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue, having defeated Wembley Synagogue's Rabbi Simon Harris in an election on Tuesday.

Rabbis David Lister and Nissan Wilson are the vice-chairmen.

Elsewhere, Rabbi Mark Goldsmith of North Western Reform Synagoue was voted in as head of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis.

Liberal Judaism's r

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Chief to host Reform leaders

The Chief Rabbi will be at a meeting of a group working to improve relations between Orthodox and non-Orthodox for the first time since its inception 12 years ago.

Later this month, Lord Sacks will host a meeting at his home of the community consultative committee, bringing together leaders of the United Synagogue, Reform, Liberal and Masorti movements.

The committee was set up to restore co

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£13k pay rise for top Liberal rabbis

Liberal leaders have approved new pay guidelines for rabbis which would see the salary for the highest-paid ministers rising above £75,000.

The lowest-paid rabbis would enjoy an increase to £34,181 from £31,072 two years ago, according to the guidelines, which are not binding on congregations.

Newly endorsed by the Liberal Judaism council, the updated 30-point salary scales will go out fo

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Schochet quits RCUS

Mill Hill Synagogue's Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet is stepping down after a three-year stint as chairman of the United Synagogue's rabbinical council (RCUS), prompting a contested election to succeed him.

Rabbi Julian Shindler, executive director of RCUS, said that three rabbis had so far been nominated for the post ahead of next Tuesday's vote but he could not reveal their names until after nominat

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Mariner sails off

Rabbi Rodney Mariner officially retired as minister of Belsize Square Synagogue on the weekend of his 70th birthday.

A packed Shabbat congregation heard Reform Judaism president Rabbi Tony Bayfield confess to "genuine envy" at how his colleague personified "the strong and authoritative but kind and approachable image that a rabbi needs in our time.

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Free schools row over Sacks' backing

The Chief Rabbi has been accused of a U-turn after endorsing plans for an Orthodox school which could offer up to 50 per cent of places to non-Jewish children.

Parents in Golders Green have applied to the government to open a free primary school there. The school has the backing of Lord Sacks and will be presided over by Golders Green United Synagogue's Rabbi Harvey Belovski.

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